Dancing With Shadows
by Bender110
Summary: Never show weakness. Never show restraint. Never get caught. The elite rogues of SI:7 live by these words, but one agent wasn't so lucky on her last mission, and in this line of work...the payment for failure is your life.


**Dancing With Shadows – Shellis**

_**Northern Wetlands**_

_**The Great Marsh**_

_**One hour after Shellis' final successful infiltration of the Twilight Cult…**_

_Never show weakness._

_Never show restraint._

_Never get caught._

The words of the Creed echoed in Shellis' head as she sprinted across an open field in the Wetlands, the soft ground squishing beneath her leather boots. The moon rose in the distance, casting an eerie glow over the marsh.

_I guess I screwed up on the last one pretty badly this time _she mused, and fought the urge to laugh. _Maldan would be unimpressed, but what does he care? HE'S the one who sent ME on this suicide mission. _The thought of the old Rogue master made her frown.

Her hand caught the edge of a broken log and she propelled herself over it, coming to a crouch behind a large tree. The branches were spread wide and the thousands of leaves that covered them offered a shelter from the skies above.

She was being hunted.

And from the skies, the Seeker searched for her.

She rested her head against the trunk and closed her eyes, taking the precious moments to catch her breath.

Shellis had been running for the better part of an hour. She had successfully infiltrated a Twilight Stronghold near the edge of the Twilight Highlands, assassinated their leader, retrieved the necessary documents for Maldan, and looted three thousand gold in a matter of only five minutes.

_Getting IN has always been easy _she thought. _It's the getting OUT part that's always been a problem._

A Twilight Watchman near the edge of the camp had recovered from being knocked out and sounded the alarm…and the Seeker had been waiting for her.

_And THAT was when things got interesting. And I never thought that HE would find me…_Shellis let the thought trail off. _Damn the Twilight Brood…_

In truth, the Seeker had many names, known across Azeroth as one of the most fearsome creatures in existence, rivaled only by his sister.

Shellis knew his true name.

_Theralion the Seeker _she thought miserably.

She managed to escape the Stronghold uninjured, and had wounded the Seeker in the process…by nearly killing his sister, Valiona.

But the Seeker would not rest for long. Not after what she had done to enrage him.

He WOULD find her.

It was not a question of "if".

It was only a question of "when".

As if on cue, a shrill screech split the air above the tree. Shellis opened her eyes and tensed, daring to glance up. A small falcon was soaring overhead, its wings spread wide as it glided on the updrafts. Another screech sounded through the air and the falcon began circling above the tree where she was resting.

Shellis stared for a moment before instinct took her over. She bolted away, sprinting hard and fast.

Another screech, followed by a deep, guttural roar as the tree behind her was engulfed in blinding violet flames.

_Run._

The thought pounded in her mind, filled every fiber of her being as she sprinted across the open ground.

She dared not look back.

An open field stretched before her and the great bridge, Thandol Span, rose in the distance. _Not the best of places for a rogue to be._

"THERE IS NO ESCAPE FOR YOU, MORTAL FILTH!" Another guttural roar and a rapid inhale of air.

She threw herself forward and dove into a small lake. No sooner had she sunk beneath the water than another torrent of Twilight Flame seared over the surface and the massive form of the Seeker sped past above her.

_If I survive, I take back EVERYTHING I've EVER said about Maldan _Shellis thought to herself._ His pestering will be a small price to pay._

She broke the waters' surface and crouched behind a log near the shore.

The Seeker was nowhere to be seen.

Shellis heaved a sigh of relief…and a sudden terror set in as a massive tail slammed into her.

Pain shot through her chest and she heard several ribs break.

Both Shellis and the log she was hiding behind flew through the air, landing hard and rolling several times before she came to a complete stop, spread-eagle on the moist ground. Agony consumed her, and she struggled to remain conscious.

A low, rolling chuckle filled her ears as the Seeker stepped closer, his brilliant blue and purple scales shining in the moonlight.

"Rogues…" he rumbled. "Such easy prey…to believe that you could hide in the SHADOWS. From a _TWILIGHT_ dragon."

He let out a guttural laugh.

"And the Master will be most pleased with the return of his belongings." The massive twilight dragon came to a halt and opened his jaws wide, a faint purple flame flickering in the back of his throat.

She had nothing left.

No escape.

No witty remark to save her from death.

But she refused to die like this, like some cornered, helpless animal. She would NOT give this…monster…the pleasure.

The Seeker suddenly shifted his vision. His eyes widened slightly and just as he was about to let the stream of Twilight Flame loose…

"Then you can tell him to return to the hell from whence he came." A smooth voice issued from somewhere behind Shellis.

An arrow streaked past her shoulder, burying itself in the back of the Seeker's open mouth.

What began as a low groan quickly turned into an agonized roar as the Seeker reeled back, wings spread wide, his front claws clutching the sides of his neck in vain. He writhed and fell onto his side, thrashing his head against the ground in an attempt to dislodge the arrow.

Shellis let her eyes fall shut as she felt herself being pulled up by a pair of strong arms and tossed over someone's shoulder.

"I guess it's a good thing I found you when I did." The crystal-clear voice of a Blood Elf spoke in perfect Common. She recognized it immediately.

"I…I guess it is…" she managed to murmur as her body was lifted onto the back of a dragonhawk, followed by its master.

"_Alamar-tareth!"_ He shouted, and the beast took to the skies. They rounded the side of a small hill, flying low and fast, dodging the occasional wayward tree in their path.

The unbearable pain returned as the adrenaline drained out of her system. She managed a few last words before darkness took her. "Thank you…Taldros, my friend…"

"My debt is repaid." Taldros replied gently. "Now, rest."

And so she did.

* * *

_**Eastern Elwynn Forest**_

_**Forest's Edge Clearing**_

_**Thirteen Hours Later…**_

Sunlight streamed in through her closed eyelids and a soft flicking sound of iron against wood filled her ears.

_I'm alive…?_

"Yes, you are, and you're very lucky to be so." A voice issued from somewhere over her shoulder.

Shellis realized she had spoken the words aloud and forced her eyes open. She shifted her vision to take in her surroundings. A small clearing no more than fifteen feet across, circled by several large trees, their leaves constantly shifting in the crisp morning wind.

Her stomach muscles strained and ached as she forced herself up, wincing from the effort. A faint gasp escaped her as her ribs grinded against each other painfully and she fell back onto the sleeping mat.

"I haven't seen you do something as foolish as this since that time in Shadowmoon."

Shellis fought the urge to laugh and managed to sit up again before turning to face her close friend and savior.

Taldros was sitting cross-legged on a tree stump beside her, carving a piece of wood into a small musical instrument. His dragon scale armor shifted with each stroke of the carving knife, and he smiled lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"I've had better and worse times." She spotted her leather armor on the other side of the mat and glanced down, noticing the clean white cloth bandages wrapped around her chest and legs. She instantly blushed and pulled the blanket around herself again.

"I see you took some…liberties in bandaging me." Shellis gave the Blood Elf a wary glance, and he returned it with a look of sheer amusement.

"Would you prefer that I hadn't?" He looked as though he could barely restrain his laughter.

"No! No, I'm…very glad that you did. Don't get me wrong; I'm just a little…uncomfortable with someone seeing that much of me."

The forest lit up as Taldros threw his head back and crystalline laughter echoed through the trees. He eventually managed to bring himself back under control and replied, "Trust me, if I didn't know you as well as I do, you wouldn't be sitting here right now."

Shellis gave him a grateful smile, and the strangest of feelings overtook her body. Every fiber of her being seemed to be filled with gentle warmth.

_Perhaps I could tell him now..._ she thought. _It's treason, but what does it matter. No one would know, and besides…I…I love…_

Taldros suddenly tensed. His ears twitched and he sprang to his feet, straining to hear something.

The comforting warmth drained from her system and Shellis dared not move a muscle, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"What do you hear?" She whispered as she sat up.

A long pause before he replied.

"Him" Taldros said simply.

Shellis' eyes widened in fear and she reached for her armor, struggling to tighten the straps around her aching ribs.

A sharp whistle split the air and a great dragonhawk descended from the sky, coming to a sudden halt in the clearing. Shellis lifted herself onto the saddle, followed by Taldros.

The beast took to the sky and Taldros drew _Heartpiercer_ from its sheath.

"He couldn't possibly be THAT close" Shellis exclaimed.

Taldros let out a faint sigh before readying an arrow. "I suggest you hang on" he replied. Shellis did as instructed, tightening her grip around the Blood Elf's waist.

A shadow passed over them.

"_An shala-norei!"_ Taldros exclaimed, sending the dragonhawk into a sudden roll and a dive. A brilliant flash of purple and blue scales rushed past them, followed by a guttural roar. One more second and the Seeker would have had them in his claws.

Taldros let an arrow loose and the Seeker rolled away, easily dodging it.

And then, the unthinkable.

He vanished in mid-air, consumed by a cloud of purple energy before melting away completely.

"What…?" Taldros trailed off, turning his head as he searched the skies.

But Shellis knew better.

The Seeker hadn't disappeared.

He had slipped into the Twilight Realm.

_And if there's one thing I know, it's that the Twilight Realm and the Shadow Realm exist as one_ Shellis thought, grinning.

She loosened her grip on Taldros and let herself fall backwards into the open sky.

"What are you…" The rushing wind drowned out the rest of his sentence as she spread her arms apart, closing her eyes.

She felt the familiar surge of darkness overtake her, and her eyes snapped open once again.

The Seeker was flying less than ten feet below her, completely oblivious to her presence.

Shellis saw her opportunity, and took it. Even with her injuries, she managed to draw her daggers from their sheaths, and then…

A sudden collision halted her descent, followed by a flood of pain. Shellis brought the daggers down hard on either side of the monster's head, plunging them into the soft, vulnerable tissue of the Seeker's eyes.

A scream of agony and a stream of violet flame issued from the Seeker's mouth as he began to fall, his wings buckling and his claws clutching the sides of his head. Shellis leapt from his head and returned to the normal realm, letting the surge of the Shadow Dance ebb away.

Taldros appeared beneath her, still mounted with one hand extended up to her. She took it, pulling herself down and onto the saddle.

"And I thought your stunt in Shadowmoon was foolish…" he trailed off, clearly impressed.

"My debt is repaid." She said smugly before tightening her hold on her friend.

A roar sounded behind them and Shellis turned around in time to witness a burst of purple energy as the Seeker returned to the normal realm. A plume of earth and uprooted trees rose into the air as the Seeker crash-landed, gouging out a half-mile trench in the earth before coming to a complete stop.

Shellis couldn't suppress a smug grin. _Payment for last night, foolish abomination…_

The Gates of Stormwind rose in the distance and grew closer by the second as Taldros and Shellis continued their journey.

* * *

_**Stormwind, Alliance Capital City**_

_**SI:7 Headquarters**_

_**Rogue Master Maldan's debriefing area…**_

"A fascinating tale, by all accounts…" Maldan commented as he sat behind his desk, looking over the documents that had been delivered to him. Shellis sat across from him in a wooden chair and let herself relax. A young woman kneeled beside her, treating her wounds with holy light.

"And you said that you actually SAW, in person, with your own two eyes…Him? Theralion the Seeker?"

"Yes, sir. On two different occasions" Shellis replied.

"Then he was after you for more than simply stealing from the Twilight Cult…" Maldan said thoughtfully. "And our contact, Taldros…he assisted you in delaying the Seeker?"

Shellis nodded. "I wouldn't be sitting here if he hadn't found me when he did."

"Yes, you mentioned that." Maldan replied slowly. "Well, excellent work, as usual. Seeing as your infiltration brought Theralion out of hiding, I suggest that you lay low for a while. I'll contact you with another assignment within the week." The aging leader of SI:7 glanced out the window on his right. "The Twilight Cult won't rest for long, but with this information, and your strike against the Twin Hunters, we should be able to move our agents around much more freely."

He turned back to Shellis. "That is all for now. Dismissed."

Shellis rose and pressed her fist to her chest in a traditional SI:7 salute before turning and exiting the master's quarters, closely followed by the young priest.

"Many thanks, Serena." Shellis turned and bowed to her healer.

"It's good to have you back, Shell." She replied cheerfully before giving a slight bow and turning down the hall to the infirmary.

_Well _Shellis thought _it's certainly good to BE back. _She let out a sigh and continued down the hall, opening the door to her own room.

A dagger sat implanted in the wood of the end table beside her bed with a small note pinned beneath the blade.

Shellis crossed the room and drew the knife out before turning the note to face her.

"_Rel-solaren, Shellis"_

It was written in Thalassian, the language of the Blood Elves, and it took her several moments to decipher it.

"_I hope this message finds you well, or at least better than last we spoke. Farstrider Taldros has informed me of your skills in subterfuge…and of your reliability of keeping secrets. I require your services, and would be more than generous in my reward if you were willing to accept my contract. Regards, Regent Lord Lor-themar Theron of the Sin'dorei."_

Shellis grinned and retrieved her hooded cloak from its resting place beside her bed.

There was always more to be accomplished.

_Lives to end _she thought as she placed the note in her pocket.

_Things to steal _as she strode down the hallway towards the entrance of SI:7 headquarters.

_And gold to be earned_ as she stepped outside and into the shadows.

Into her element.

_All in a night's work for an SI:7 Master Rogue…_


End file.
